I guess when I say the second-gen system is "a little more sophisticated", it is a just a matter of how each of us views it. I haven't actually tested or revied the new GM hybrid......I'm going by how it was described and displayed at the auto shows and how the GM product people described it.

It doesn't matter how you or I view it, the system is actually more complex and sophisticated. This isn't politics.

It doesn't matter how you or I view it, the system is actually more complex and sophisticated. This isn't politics.

You would be surprised at how much politics there actually is in car design......Every single model offered for sale has to be DOT/NHTSA-approved, and certified by EPA and/or CARB (California Air Resources Board).

Long gone are the days when auto manufacturers made most of their own decisions....many of the rules today come from Washington and California, and the companies have to work within those rules.

But back to the GM hybrid system. I know the second-gen system is more complex than the first....we agree, and don't have to keep discussing that point.

I myself would like to see more diesels come out...I've said, many times, that they offer, in many instances, comparable mileage to hybrids with less complexity. In fact, a diesel, with the typical diesel high towing limit, would make a good powerplant for the vehicle I reviewed.....the Sequoia. And it would certainly do better than the 5.7L V8's dismal 13/18 MPG ratings.

You would be surprised at how much politics there actually is in car design......Every single model offered for sale has to be DOT/NHTSA-approved, and certified by EPA and/or CARB (California Air Resources Board).

Long gone are the days when auto manufacturers made most of their own decisions....many of the rules today come from Washington and California, and the companies have to work within those rules.

But back to the GM hybrid system. I know the second-gen system is more complex than the first....we agree, and don't have to keep discussing that point.

I myself would like to see more diesels come out...I've said, many times, that they offer, in many instances, comparable mileage to hybrids with less complexity. In fact, a diesel, with the typical diesel high towing limit, would make a good powerplant for the vehicle I reviewed.....the Sequoia. And it would certainly do better than the 5.7L V8's dismal 13/18 MPG ratings.

new V8 diesel would actually get >50% better mpg in city situations and 30-40% on the highway, yeah.

are you willing to deal with the noise and increased complexity though? Diesel engines are actually a lot less reliable than petrol these days. And hybrid Toyotas are currently most reliable Toyotas.

are you willing to deal with the noise and increased complexity though? Diesel engines are actually a lot less reliable than petrol these days.

But are you sure that the unreliability is because of the engine itself? Don't forget, in the American market, most of the currently available car diesels are either VW or Mercedes-sourced...two brands noted for their overall unreliability (a real shame, too, because 1980's vintage Mercedes and Peugeot diesels, here in America, were then the best on the market).

Diesel engines from other manufacturers may or may not share that unreliability....and I'm aware that many diesels curently sold in Europe are not offered in the U.S.

But are you sure that the unreliability is because of the engine itself? Don't forget, in the American market, most of the currently available car diesels are either VW or Mercedes-sourced...two brands noted for their overall unreliability (a real shame, too, because 1980's vintage Mercedes and Peugeot diesels, here in America, were then the best on the market).

Diesel engines from other manufacturers may or may not share that unreliability....and I'm aware that many diesels curently sold in Europe are not offered in the U.S.

I'm not an expert on Diesels, so take this with a grain of salt, but this is what I heard from a friend that owns a few years old Ford E350 diesel and a brand new F350 diesel.

1) Older diesel engines suffer from the new low-sulfur diesel fuel, as it doesn't have some sort of lubricant.
2) The new diesels are over complicated with a system of filters, sensors, high pressure hoses, complex EGR, and are high maintenance and unlikely to be reliable. Also, the fuel mileage seems to suffer in the new clean diesels.

Although I have to admit, the exaust of his F350 does not smell at all. The older E350 stinks badly.

2) The new diesels are over complicated with a system of filters, sensors, high pressure hoses, complex EGR, and are high maintenance and unlikely to be reliable. Also, the fuel mileage seems to suffer in the new clean diesels.

Interesting point. And, when the new urea-injection systems become more widespread, diesels will probably become even more complex....and require urea refills. Still, it won't be as complex as hybrids with a gas engine and one or more electric motors (some Toyota/Lexus hybrids have a gas engine and THREE electric motors...that's why they cost so much).

Poor gas mileage (but, of course, you will have that with any large V8 SUV).

With comments like these. It looks like Toyota pretty much re-created a 1997 GMC Yukon.

Quote:

you will have to put up with a conventional key and a small, hard-to-see and hard-to-use ignition switch on the side of the steering column.

This boggles my mind. How did Toyota go from a dash mounted key hole on the first gen Sequoia to a column mounted key hole on the second gen?

Even worse.....How does the Corolla come equipped with a dash mounted push button start yet the $55k Sequioa use the column mounted key....but wait it is possible to get a power telescoping steering column.

Ok..maybe scaling the side of cliffs like a mountain goat is pushing it

In this passage, I was talking about the Land Cruiser, not the Sequoia (I later, on request, reviewed a Land Cruiser). The Sequoia, though with a large, heavy-duty frame, is premarily an on-pavement vehicle, designed to haul people, cargo, and/or tow a heavy trailer. The Land Cruiser, in contrast, is one of the world's finest off-road vehicles.....hence its popularity in Third World conditions, which include, yes, mountains. Of course, its large size, as compared to smaller, more agile, and more manuverable off-roaders like the Jeep Wrangler and Suzuki Vitara, prevents it from being as much of a true mountain goat in narrow spaces as they are.....there, you have a point.